Explore the Family Name Thaw

The meaning of Thaw

1. English and Scottish: variant of Thew. 2. Americanized form of Jewish Thau. 3. Burmese (Karen): from a personal name usually forming part of a compound name, from a-thaw ‘new’. 4. Burmese: from a personal name usually forming part of a compound name, probably from thaw-da ‘moon’. — Note: Since Burmese and Karens do not have hereditary surnames, these two names (see also 3 above) were registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US. Some characteristic forenames: Jewish Mort.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Thaw in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Thaw has increased in popularity between the years 2000 and 2010. In 2000, the surname ranked 48,380 in terms of popularity, but by 2010 it had jumped to 35,294, a change of approximately 27.05 percent. The count of individuals with this surname also saw a significant increase from 410 in 2000 to 638 in 2010, experiencing a 55.61 percent growth. Proportionally, for every 100,000 people, there were 0.15 named Thaw in 2000 as compared to 0.22 in 2010, demonstrating a 46.67 percent increase.

20002010Change
Rank#48,380#35,29427.05%
Count41063855.61%
Proportion per 100k0.150.2246.67%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Thaw

Discussing the ethnic identity associated with the surname Thaw, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows an interesting shift from 2000 to 2010. While individuals identifying as White made up 80.24 percent of those with the surname Thaw in 2000, this percentage fell to 44.67 in 2010. Conversely, the percentage of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander drastically rose from 7.32 in 2000 to 42.79 in 2010. There was a slight increase in those identifying as Hispanic, from 2.44 to 3.92 percent. However, representation of Black individuals decreased from 9.02 percent to 7.21 percent, and there was no change in the American Indian and Alaskan Native category. A new group emerged in 2010, with 1.41 percent of Thaws identifying with two or more races.

20002010Change
White80.24%44.67%-44.33%
Asian/Pacific Islander7.32%42.79%484.56%
Black9.02%7.21%-20.07%
Hispanic2.44%3.92%60.66%
Two or More Races0%1.41%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%